How do internet users use Google in 2025? Practical info
In 2025, usage continues to evolve. Internet users still use Google, but not like before: their behaviours have changed under the influence of mobile, AI, longer queries, «zero-click» formats, and a heightened awareness of smart search. This article provides an overview of these new habits and suggests ways to adapt to them.
1. A still massive usage, but already familiarised
The Google search engine remains the essential tool: according to data, approximately 4.91 billion internet users use Google worldwide in early 2025. The number of daily searches runs into several billion. This ubiquity gives Google a significant responsibility: see, for example, the analysis suggesting that it accounts for more than 90 per cent of the search market.
2. Internet users use Google primarily on mobile, but not exclusively
Mobile usage dominates: a large proportion of queries come from mobile devices, which makes it essential for websites to be optimised for these formats. However, this is not the only platform: desktop retains a role, particularly for professional use or in-depth research. This duality influences expectations regarding speed, clarity, and multi-screen compatibility.
3. Longer, more specific queries
In 2025, internet users are using Google and formulating longer, more precise queries. For example, the average keyword length in the United States is around 3.4 words. This reflects a more conscious behaviour: people no longer simply search for «shoes», but «men's size 42 cushioned running shoes». This shift towards the «long tail» (niche keywords) is a strong signal for SEO.
4. A high percentage of «unique» queries»
One of the recent lessons is that 58 % queries are used only once («one-time queries»). This means that many searches are highly specific and rarely repeated, which forces content creators to offer well-targeted pages rather than focusing solely on a few ultra-competitive, high-volume keywords.
5. The growing role of AI and «AI summaries»
AI is inviting itself into search: for example, features like «AI Overviews» are appearing in a significant fraction of search result pages. This is changing the way users interact with the results: they sometimes get the answer directly in the results page, without clicking on a site. A study shows that users exposed to an AI summary are less likely to click on a link. For content publishers, it is a challenge: how to survive in a context where the ’instant answer« is becoming the norm?
6. Trust that is not always critical, and conflated «advertising/organic» results
In 2025, approximately 46 % of internet users use Google and cannot tell the difference between paid and organic results on Google. This reveals room for improvement in users' digital literacy, but also a risk for marketers and SEOs: visibility is no longer enough; clarity, authenticity and transparency are too.
7. The European / French context
Although global figures are the most significant, in Europe and France we can see that search usage continues to grow, and that the proportion of mobile usage is high. The Global 2025 report notes that «finding information» remains the main reason for using the internet (62.8 %) in early 2025. For an SEO professional or agency, this means that content must be informative, «question-and-answer» oriented, optimised for mobile, and aimed at a multilingual and diverse audience.
8. Impacts for SEO and content strategies
For you, a digital player (agency, website, SEO...), several lessons are essential:
- Prioritise «informational» content: the majority of queries are of this type. Boomcycle Digital Marketing+1
- Target highly specific long-tail keywords, since many queries are only used once.
- Optimise for mobile and voice/assistants: researchers phrase their queries differently via voice or voice searches.
- Assume the user might not click: adapt your site so that even an appearance in an AI summary or snippet is enough to instigate trust, and encourage engagement.
- Highlight the distinction between organic and paid content to build trust.
- Create content that stands out for its expertise, freshness, and local relevance (e.g. for a digital marketing agency in a specific geographical area).
- Monitor the evolution of formats and behaviours (AI, zero-click, visual search) to remain adaptable.
9. Some trends to watch
- The rise of visual search (images, videos, objects) and navigation via voice assistants or connected devices.
- The rise of «zero-click searches»: users find their answer without leaving Google. This is altering traffic to external websites.
- A generational segmentation: younger users (Gen Z) favour fast, interactive formats and also use TikTok/Instagram as alternative search engines.
- Internationalisation and non-Anglophone research are gaining ground: content must be culturally and linguistically adapted.
10. In conclusion
In 2025, internet users are using Google and adopting more sophisticated habits: predominantly mobile usage, long-tail queries, searches for quick information, interaction with AI, and a variety of devices. For an SEO professional or a website (such as those you will be offering for rent or management), these elements must be integrated at the heart of the strategy: targeted content, a seamless mobile experience, optimisation for instant answers, and strong differentiation. By understanding these habits, one can not only capture attention but also maintain visibility and relevance in a shifting digital landscape.
